the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) vs augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
PECS vs AAC: What's the Difference for Children?
AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) is the broad umbrella of all tools and strategies that support or replace spoken words — gestures, sign, picture boards and speech-generating devices. PECS (the Picture Exchange Communication System) is one specific, structured AAC method where a child communicates by handing over a picture card. So PECS is a type of AAC, but AAC is much wider. Neither stops a child from talking; for many children they support spoken language.
When your child finds spoken words hard to reach, picture cards and talking devices can open a whole new door — and it helps to know how they fit together.
In short
Think of it this way: AAC is the big umbrella, and PECS is one specific method underneath it. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is the whole family of tools and strategies that support or replace spoken words — gestures, sign, picture boards, communication books and speech-generating apps and devices. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) is one particular, structured AAC approach where a child learns to communicate by physically handing a picture card to another person to make a request or comment. So every PECS user is using a form of AAC, but AAC is much broader than PECS alone.How they differ in everyday life
AAC is best understood as a spectrum. It includes unaided methods that use only the body — gestures, facial expression, sign — and aided methods that use something external, from simple picture cards (low-tech) to tablets and dedicated speech-generating devices (high-tech). The goal of all AAC is the same: to give a child a reliable, respected way to be understood, whatever their spoken language looks like.PECS sits inside the aided, picture-based corner of that spectrum, but with a distinctive feature — it is built around the act of exchange. A child learns, in clear teaching phases, to pick up a picture and give it to a communication partner, which builds the powerful idea that communication is directed at another person and brings a response. It begins with single pictures for highly motivating items and grows towards sentences and commenting. By contrast, a picture board or a tablet app may not require that physical exchange — the child may point, tap or select instead.
A common worry deserves a clear answer: AAC and PECS do not stop a child from talking. Research consistently shows that, for many children, these tools reduce frustration and can actually support the development of spoken language by taking the pressure off and giving communication a foothold. The right choice — picture exchange, a board, an app, sign, or a blend — depends on your individual child, which is what a speech and language assessment determines.
The Pinnacle way
This is general information, not a diagnosis — a clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care, never from an app or form. Our speech and language therapists assess how your child currently communicates and what motivates them, then match the right AAC approach — whether that is PECS, a communication board, or a speech-generating app — within an individualised speech therapy plan, with family coaching so the tool works at [home and everywhere](/) your child goes.Trusted sources
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) on AAC as a broad set of aided and unaided communication methods; AAP and HealthyChildren guidance on supporting communication in children with speech and language differences.Next step — If your child struggles to communicate with words, book a speech and language screening so we can find the AAC approach that fits them best.
What to watch
A child who shows little spoken language by around 18–24 months, struggles to make needs known, points less than peers, or grows frustrated trying to communicate — these are reasons to explore whether an AAC approach like PECS, a board or an app could help.
Try this at home
Whatever tool your child uses, model it yourself: point to pictures or tap the app as you speak naturally, so your child sees communication as a shared, two-way thing rather than a test.
Trusted sources
Developed by SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network · Last reviewed 2026-06-10 · reviewed every 365 days
This is general information, not a diagnosis. A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care.
Frequently asked
Is PECS the same as AAC?
No. AAC is the broad umbrella covering all the ways a child can communicate beyond speech — gestures, sign, picture boards, communication books and speech-generating apps and devices. PECS (the Picture Exchange Communication System) is one specific, structured method within AAC, built around handing over a picture card. So PECS is a type of AAC, but AAC is much wider.
Will using PECS or AAC stop my child from learning to talk?
No — this is a very common worry, and the evidence is reassuring. Research shows that for many children these tools reduce frustration and can actually support spoken language by giving communication a foothold and taking the pressure off. They are a bridge, not a barrier.
How do I know whether PECS or another AAC tool is right for my child?
That is exactly what a speech and language assessment determines. A therapist looks at how your child currently communicates, what motivates them, and their motor and learning style, then matches the right approach — picture exchange, a board, an app, sign, or a blend — and coaches the family to use it everywhere.